A new development from JCB should make life easy for mixed fleet operators
Many operators run mixed fleets and most manufacturers now offer a form of telematics support. That means that those responsible for machinery can be faced with a range of complex data, often in different formats. This invariably means logging into and viewing several incompatible systems in order to get a comprehensive overview of the entire fleet’s performance, whereabouts and service requirements.
That was until now because JCB has launched a brand new version of its LiveLink telematics system, which enables mixed fleet operators to control all of their plant and equipment with one network. JCB LiveLink is the manufacturer’s own telematics system and is used on over 160,000 of its machines worldwide, boasting more than 70,000 logins per month.
Now these same remote machine monitoring benefits are available to customers who also operate non-JCB equipment. The new LiveLink Control Tower system allows fleet owners to seamlessly import fleet data from any telematics system compliant with the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) Telematics standard V1.2.
All machine information – whether JCB or competitive equipment – can then be displayed and interpreted in one secure, intuitive web portal or integrated into a user’s own IT system. Several Developer Toolkit services will also be provided to assist with integrating machine data into existing systems and rental or fleet management software.
The Staffordshire-based machinery maker’s Managing Director Parts and Service, Ian Sayers explains further: “The new JCB Control Tower consolidates information from across a complete fleet on to a single dedicated system. This allows those responsible for fleet management to interpret data from multiple sources, enabling more informed, more effective and faster decision making.”
For those looking to bring all their equipment on to this fleet management portal, dealers can retrospectively fit the JCB LiveLink Lite system to machines with no telematics device previously installed.
The Benefits of JCB LiveLink
The LiveLink telematics fleet management system is standard on all the manufacturer’s heavyline and mid-range machines and is now fitted on 90 per cent of the JCB machines sold in Europe. Latest features include:
* Fuel economy monitoring
* Operating mode data
* Planned maintenance and breakdown prevention
* Real-time location reporting
Increased Fuel Economy
LiveLink provides fleet managers with up to the minute fuel use data, including actual fuel consumption and fuel tank level. The system also provides the customer with operating mode and idle time data, allowing the manager to see how the equipment is being used on site and to show drivers ways in which the equipment could be operated more efficiently.
Excessive idling on site can also point to poor utilisation of machinery, perhaps a smaller excavator could be used or the machine could operate with more trucks, allowing managers to change equipment between sites to achieve increased utilisation.
Enhanced Preventative Maintenance
Machine cautions, such as water in the fuel tank, can be sent to both the customer and to a local JCB dealer, where they can be monitored and used to signal the need for maintenance or a change of operation on site. This provides the customer with greater fleet control but also ensures that the dealer delivers a proactive service to the customer, cutting downtime and preventing damage to the machine.
Fleet managers can also work with dealers to plan regular maintenance and servicing at a time to suit their operation, ensuring that all necessary filters and fluids are available and that planned downtime does not adversely impact the work being carried out on site. Customers can access the information concerning their machines at any time through a web portal, where they can organise regular daily or weekly reports that can be integrated into many common fleet management software packages.
Location Tracking and Geofencing
LiveLink’s constantly updated location system can alert the customer to unauthorised movement of the machine, preventing theft and alerting rental companies to continued use of equipment that has been off-hired. Having JCB LiveLink on a machine can also lead to reduced insurance premiums.
